


Fire and Rain

by Judayre



Series: Judy is Bad at Titles: the Modern AU [4]
Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Family, M/M, Modern AU, Nori gives TMI, Romance, Slice of Life, good and bad times
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-07-04
Updated: 2015-01-27
Packaged: 2017-12-17 17:07:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 2,792
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/869930
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Judayre/pseuds/Judayre
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dori, Nori, and Ori have been without parents for almost twenty years.  So much has happened to them in that time.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Growing Up

**Author's Note:**

> Just what I need - another open story! I do these things.
> 
> Here is the life and times of the Conell brothers. Likely format here going back and forth between "current" and older things. No real plot, just slice of life and building up characters and relations.
> 
> I'll try to member my time stamp. This chapter takes place mid May, 2013 (the morning after the end of [Blueberry Muffins and Sketches](http://archiveofourown.org/works/801864)).

"Ori," Dori called through the door. True, it was the weekend, but Ori was a naturally early riser. He'd never slept through breakfast without a good reason. "I'm coming in." Dori had had to fight his way in to take care of his sick baby brother on more than one occasion, and had no problem doing so. His brothers were his reason for living, and he wouldn't leave either of them in need.

He opened the door slowly, peeking around before he came in. There were no sounds, which meant Ori was still asleep. But why would he be asleep so late? To be sure, Dori hadn't heard him come in the previous night, but he had been busy and out of the house for much of it himself. They were very busy at work and--

Ori was indeed in bed, but he wasn't alone. He was pressed up against the back of someone broad shouldered, pale, and blond. They'd kicked at the covers in the night and Dori was quite certain they were both naked. He could feel his blood pressure rise. Who was this person - this defiler of brothers? It took all his self control to keep from pulling him out of the bed and throwing him out the window.

Growing up with Dori and Nori, Ori had developed a sixth sense when it came to feeling tension. He stirred now, scrunching his face as he rubbed his eyes with one hand. The familiarity of it was almost enough to calm Dori until he turned to press a kiss to his partner's nape. Dori waited until the blond raised one languid hand to reach back and card Ori's hair, and then he cleared his throat.

They froze instantly, and then Ori looked back over his shoulder. Seeing Dori, he leaned in and whispered something to the other man and then rolled out of bed. Dori had practically raised him, and he wasn't self conscious when it came to confronting his older brother with no clothes on.

"You could knock," he suggested, arms crossed.

Dori looked beyond him and saw the blond fishing under the bed for his underpants. He looked back at his brother. "With the number of times you've tried to blockade me out when something was wrong, I don't bother anymore. I did call you, and it's past nine thirty." His eyes strayed again, to where the stranger was wriggling under the blankets to get something on.

"Yes, well, last night was very tiring."

Dori's eyes narrowed into a glare and Ori sighed and scooped his hair back with one hand. "I'm not a virgin, Dori," he said, and then raised his voice to override any comment. "And I wasn't yesterday."

Dori could feel the horror at the idea that tiny, baby Ori had had sex before, and Ori could see it, because he gentled his voice.

"I don't tell you everything I do. I'm not Nori. And he mostly does it because he knows it bothers you."

That stopped Dori, because was that how they saw him? Just a fussy older brother who didn't want to know anything about them? He yelled at Nori because he cared! He wanted to know what he was doing, but the things he got up to!

But then, wasn't it a mark of trust that he knew those things? Even right after the accident, he knew everywhere Nori went and who he was with. He knew the details of every party, who he had slept with and what it was like, what drugs he had tried and what they had done to him, where they had stolen the supplies. He'd always known, and Nori had never been shy about telling him, had never minded Dori dragging him off to get tested for STDs. If anyone was important enough to bring home, Dori met them first thing.

It was a relief, really. He had Nori's trust. He'd always had Nori's trust, even at the worst. Didn't they understand that?

"Dori?"

He looked up to see worry on Ori's face. Ori, who always hid things, and could read the sadness on his face.

"I'm sorry, Dori. I was going to introduce you first, but...."

"So introduce me now," he said, glancing at where the blond was now half dressed and searching for his shirt.

Ori reached down, pulling the other man close, and Dori blinked in astonishment.

"This is my boyfriend," Ori said, voice shyly happy, lips turned up in a smile that Dori had missed since New Year's. "Fíli Sixten."

"Fíli Sixten, the nephew of Thorin Durin?" Dori asked.

"Yes, sir," the blond answered.

"Fíli Sixten who will be your boss one day?"

"No, sir," the blond answered, and Dori raised a brow.

"Fíli was accepted to the police academy," Ori said proudly. He reddened, still smiling at the other young man. "I was imagining him in his uniform last night, and...."

Fíli grinned and Dori sighed softly, fighting a smile of his own. Not like Nori, indeed. In the end, neither could resist telling him things he didn't need to know.


	2. Life Goes On

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dori gets an offer that changes his life for the better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Early July, 1995
> 
> Quite short, but I don't think this one needs to be any longer.

Black was not a good color on Dori, but there were some times you just didn't think about that. He'd been in black since the news, only a week ago, and felt like that would be all he wore for the rest of his life. But Ori couldn't sleep without having nightmares, and Nori hadn't been home once since they'd heard, and Dori couldn't _relax_ or _think_ or _mourn_. He felt like he hadn't slept in that whole week, needing to be with Ori constantly so he wouldn't fret.

And the lawyer was talking about inheritance tax, wills, guardianship, and things that he really did know about. But he could hardly keep his eyes open, and following what was said was impossible. It took him a long moment to realize that the voice had stopped and he jerked himself upright.

"I'm sorry!" he exclaimed, looking at the man across the table from him. "Ori hasn't been sleeping, and...." And he shouldn't make excuses.

"You need to take care of yourself, Mr. Conell."

"I need to take care of my _brothers_ ," Dori answered, feeling the tears he'd been suppressing spring to his eyes. "But I just barely finished college and I have no job. I know mom and dad left enough to help us, but we can't count on that. I have to think about selling the house unless I can get enough money to continue paying for it and get it fast. I don't have time to worry about myself, Mr. Durin."

"What is your degree? I may know of some openings."

"Pre law." He'd thought of going to law school, but there was no chance of that now. He'd have to take whatever he could find.

"Really? How fortunate. I've been wanting a paralegal. You can start next Monday."

"You're kidding." Dori read the other's expression, and he wasn't kidding. "Can you do that?"

"I don't see why not. You'll be my assistant, not my father's."

"But references. Background checks. You can't seriously just hire someone off the street!"

The lawyer looked at him kindly. "Dori Conell, do you want this job?"

And there was the million dollar question. Because much as Dori hated being pitied, he couldn't give this up for his pride. He needed work, and this was an amazing opportunity. He could raise Ori on this kind of job, and try to pull Nori back as well. It was a dream job - after all, his degree was pre-law. He'd actually be using it.

He bowed his head slightly and took a deep breath. "Yes," he answered softly.

Balin Durin smiled at him. "Then let's finish going over the wills and I'll show you around."


	3. The Start of Something New

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dori has always had his brother's back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> January, 2013
> 
> The first part is January 1.

Dori was already reading the newspaper and drinking his morning tea when Nori finally came home. He was dressed in the clothes he'd worn to the party - although he seemed to have stolen someone else's tie - his hair was only haphazardly pulled back into its usual tail, and he had a familiar shit eating grin on his face. Dori sighed.

"If you have slept with any of my coworkers, I will never forgive you," he said flatly. Especially Glóin. Glóin was married, and his wife wouldn't care that it was Dori's often troublemaking younger brother and not Dori himself who had perpetrated the infidelity.

Nori laughed and collapsed in the chair across from Dori, not even looking once at the coffee maker. At least the Durins were polite the morning after, Dori reflected. "Not one of your coworkers," Nori assured. "Lawyers aren't built like that." He hummed a little, a pleased little smile on his face. "The man was built like a _wall_ , Dori. Have you ever had sex with a wall?" He looked at his brother a trifle sadly. "No, you probably haven't."

"Nori!" Dori exclaimed in his best scandalized voice, and Nori laughed again, leaning languidly across the table.

"I haven't gotten laid like that in years. Whatever we were drinking last night was the _best_."

"You were taken advantage of while drunk?" Dori asked pointedly, as he always did when Nori had a one night stand.

This time, his brother's head came up off the table. "He was drunk too!" he insisted defensively. "We took advantage of each other!" His face melted into a smile again as he thought about taking advantage.

"And?" Dori asked briskly, hoping to skip the part where Nori gave him excruciating details and move on to how he was treated before leaving so he knew if he needed to pay one branch of the Durin family a painful visit.

"And? And we're going for dinner after midterms." Nori said it casually, but Dori dropped the newspaper without even thinking.

"You're going on a date with a drunken one night stand two weeks after the sex?" he wondered in amazement. Nori rarely dated, and never someone he'd slept with while drinking.

"Drop it, Dori," Nori said tensely. Then he added - because he couldn't seem to help telling Dori more than he often wanted to know - "he's-- Dwalin's not the kind of guy you only see once."

There was a tone to his voice that Dori had only heard a few times, and he picked up his tea with both hands so they wouldn't curl into fists. Nori never believed things would last, so he never got involved in something that was supposed to. There had been too many things that vanished on him, and Dori knew he was one of the few that hadn't.

"You'll introduce me," he said, voice clearly commanding and not asking.

Nori flashed a smile. "I'll have him pick me up here. Now, if you'll excuse me, it's my last day off and I'm going to spend it sleeping." He rose from his chair, stretched luxuriantly, and left the room.

Twice in the following two weeks, Dwalin picked Nori up from work and they went for a drive. Nori insisted that was all that they did, but both times he had come home flushed and smiling. Dori wasn't sure he liked this relationship that had open Nori - who often told him far more than he wanted to know - keeping secrets.

Nori was draped across Dwalin when he introduced them, and Dori saw that Dwalin's arm was tight around Nori's waist. It was a point in his favor, a show that both of them were invested.

"Nori, why don't you go finish getting ready."

"I'm already--" Nori smiled and sighed, then leaned up to whisper to Dwalin - loud enough for Dori to hear - "Don't worry. He's all bark." He kissed the other man and went upstairs.

Dwalin crossed his arms. "Balin only says good things about you," he said as an opening.

"This isn't about me," Dori said, and there was enough in his voice that Dwalin glanced uncertainly toward the stairs, wondering if Nori was having him on. "This is about my brother. I can count on one hand the number of times he's seen someone more than twice and still have fingers left over."

This time Dwalin's eyes widened and he flushed. But there was a pleased look in his eyes and that gave Dori hope.

Not enough for him to skip the threat. "If you hurt him, you will regret it forever. I've done it once, and I'm perfectly willing to do it again."

"I don't plan to hurt him," Dwalin said, deep voice low and reassuring. "I think he's the one I've been waiting for."

Dori gaped, but before he could come up with a reply Nori clattered down the stairs, attaching himself to Dwalin's side again. Dwalin's arms uncrossed and one of them instantly found its way around Nori's waist.

"Don't wait up," Nori said with a wink and dragged Dwalin out the door.

Dori watched them leave and hoped against hope that Dwalin was everything he presented himself as.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I plan on writing about Nori and Dwalin.


	4. Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dori gets to hold his baby brother.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tiny new chapter. Going to try and write more here, because I love them. We'll see how well that works out.

Ori was premature. It was something the doctor had tried to prepare them for - Dori's mother was not a young woman anymore, and there was a higher likelihood of complications with older mothers.

Nori, eleven, had been unhappy at not being the youngest in the family through much of the pregnancy. That changed as soon as he was allowed to look through the window of the neonatal ICU and see his brother in the incubator.

Dori, at fifteen, was considered old enough to go in and visit, which Nori couldn't. He sat where he was directed and carefully took the tiny form into his arms, cradling him to his chest the way he was shown. Ori was so small, and there were so many wires attached to him. But there on his fingers were tiny nails, smooth and round and well trimmed. And his baby button nose wrinkled as he yawned and cuddled into Dori.

Dori glanced up at the window where he saw Nori with his face pressed up against the glass. And then he turned back and did everything he was told to do, asked every question he could think to ask. Because he was going to take care of his tiny baby brother for the rest of his life.


	5. Breakfast

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nori thought there was no one home....

There was serenity in being in your own kitchen, Dori reflected as he waited for the kettle to boil. He loved his brothers, and he loved that they had saved and planned to send him on a three week vacation to Italy, but he was glad to be home. And wouldn't it be a surprise! Balin had been very apologetic when he emailed about the emergency, but Dori hadn't really minded cutting it a few days short.

He had gotten in past midnight, entering as quietly as he could and going directly to his room. He had slept on the plane, but a bit more sleep wasn't unwanted. Still, he had risen early and was the first in the kitchen. He smiled, imagining the surprise on his brothers' faces when they came down for breakfast.

There was movement from upstairs as he got up to pour water into his mug for tea, but when he turned to say good morning he found himself faced with Dwalin Durin wearing nothing but his boxers. He let out a shriek and almost threw the kettle at him.

There was a clatter from upstairs that sounded like Nori falling out of the bed - he always slept on the edge of it, so it was a familiar sound - and within moments the middle brother was in the kitchen, still tugging at his pajama bottoms to get them properly on.

"Dori!" he exclaimed. "What are you doing home?"

"I came home early," Dori growled, still holding the kettle tightly. "What are you doing? And with Ori around as well!"

"What do you take me for?" Nori demanded. "Ori went out with friends. Midnight showing of something and then they were going to go to breakfast. I wouldn't have Dwalin stay the night with Ori home. But I'm not going to go elsewhere when he might need me, am I? I've been home all the past two weeks!"

"You're both aware he's an adult, right?" a voice, deep and amused, cut in on their argument.

Dori narrowed his eyes at the large man. "I can still cover you with boiling water," he said, and was treated to a deep laugh.

"Sit," Dwalin said, amusement and affection in his voice. "You two figure out how old Ori is. I'll make eggs."

"You will put clothes on," Dori said sternly. "I will make breakfast."

Somehow, clothes ended up just being his pants. And in the end, he was still the one who made breakfast.


End file.
